The Idol
by hyperoo
Summary: The spirit world once created a way for Firebenders to control Waterbenders; and it's fallen into Prince Zuko's hands. Disclaimer: Don't Avatar: the Last Airbender, it is property of Viacom. I make no money off of this nor tangible profit.


The red eyes of the odd idol had haunted Katara since they had fled the pirate's ship. Maybe it was because of the obvious time and craftsmanship put into something so ugly, maybe it was the wasted rubies used as its eyes, she didn't know. But she knew she never wanted to see it again. But that didn't matter what mattered was the waterbending scroll. If a creepy idol had been the only price to pay for a chance to learn to use this gift, it was more than worth it.

She took the scroll, laid it open on the rock and tried her best to imitate the hand movements of the illustrations. The water would not cooperate. She growled and yelled at the water for not bending properly, even though she knew it was her lack of skill all along.

That's when it happened. The pirates seemed to come out of nowhere, the first were easy enough, even though she was untrained; she was near her element and had the upper hand. At least until he got her. He had her hands in an iron grip and though she fought, she could not get free. He tied her hands behind her back and so she could not bend; he tried to bribe her, but only succeeded in making her angry.

"Enough of this necklace garbage!" the captain snapped "You owe us a scroll!"

He smirked. To think they had honestly thought he would just give it to them without first getting his way. He held it over a self made flame, threatening to burn it unless they helped find Aang. It worked, at least at first. But Katara had walked some distance away from camp so she wouldn't wake Aang and Sokka with her practice. It was a fruitless search.

"Where are they!" Zuko demanded

Katara didn't answer, she never would. This spoiled, selfish Firebender was not going to get his way, not this time.

"Enough!" the captain barked "She's a Waterbender, right?"

"Yes," Zuko answered "Though, we've already established that."

"And you're a Firebender?"

"What do you think!?"

"Then you don't need to try and get her to talk through threats, she'll do anything you ask willingly."

An odd snort escaped Katara. She would never submit to the Prince of the Fire Nation.

"Laugh all you want girly, but you'll be his willing slave by the time we're done. Mushi! Get the idol the fat uncle bought."

_The idol?_ Thought Katara, _what did that have to do with anything._

She looked over and saw Mushi carrying it out of the small iron boat the prince had traveled in.

"Now," said the captain, handing it to Zuko "You hold that in front of her and heat it up until the eyes glow red."

"What does this have to with gathering information!" Zuko snapped "You should be out there finding the boy, not playing with toys!"

"This isn't a toy, it's a very powerful tool from the spirit world."

"And how is that supposed to help?"

The captain narrowed his eyes, he was getting very annoyed at this spoiled prince ordering him around.

"You want the monk or not?"

"Very well" Zuko said, finally giving in.

The captain signaled to the pirates, they surrounded Katara, held her head in place and forced her eyelids open. Zuko heated the statue, the ruby eyes lit up, an eerie shade of ember glowing like two beacons. As soon as the light hit Katara's eyes, she stopped struggling.

"Say her name." The captain told a bewildered Zuko

"…Katara"

As soon as word left his mouth, he knew he had done something wrong. Saying her name had sent an odd wave of energy through him, almost like something was being completed or set. The pirates stepped away from the entranced Waterbender, knowing they would no longer be needed to restrain her.

Zuko stopped heating the statue and she continued to stare at him.

"Katara?" he repeated

"Yes Master Zuko?" Katara said breathlessly

…_Master Zuko! Had he heard her right?_

"Where are the others?"

"In a clearing, three miles north."

"You heard her! Go find them!"

The pirates and guards hurried north, breaking off into groups of three or four to avoid making too much noise and risk waking their prey. Zuko smiled, as he set the idol on the ground, he knew it was only a matter of time before the Avatar was his and his honor would be restored, more than worth the discomfort of doing business with this filth.

"Master Zuko?"

He looked over at Katara, stunned that she was still referring to him as "master". He no longer held the idol.

"How long will this last?" Zuko asked the captain, looking at Katara with an odd mix of curiosity and guilt.

"One moon cycle, and it only affects her at night."

"An entire _moon cycle_!" Zuko roared "What am I supposed to do with her until then?"

The captain smirked as he pulled his dagger from his belt and cut the ropes that restrained Katara's hands. She fell to her knees at first, not expecting to be cut free. She looked up at Zuko expectantly, an odd hunger in her eyes. She reached out and started undoing the restraints of the armor around his waist and soon his groin.

"Why is she like this? What is that thing?"

" It was given to a Firebender centuries ago by a tree spirit he saved from annihilation. The Firebender was in love with a Waterbender but being opposite elements, she refused him. So the spirit made this statue, when it's heated by a Firebender the eyes glow red. When a Waterbender looks into the glowing eyes, she becomes a slave to the Firebender."

"What kind of slave?" Zuko asked as he tried to push her away

"It should be obvious."

His right eye, (right not left, for obvious reasons) widened. He hadn't wanted this! Yes she was beautiful and yes he was attracted to her, but this, this was just wrong!

"Think of it as an added perk." the captain said as Katara finally managed to pull his cod piece off and started on his pants strings.

Zuko jumped in surprise when he felt her hand wrap around him. He wasn't hard, at least not yet, but her graceful fingers would quickly change that. He reached down and pulled her fingers out of his pants, took her hands and stood her up. He was hoping it would help that she was no longer so close to such a sensitive spot, but she proved him wrong when her teeth found his ear lobe. Zuko closed his eyes and hissed, trying his best (and failing miserably) to keep his composure. As Katara's teeth grazed his neck, he realized how dangerous the Waterbender truly was to him, but not for the reasons he had originally anticipated.

Realizing the dilemma, Zuko quickly moved to tie her to the tree again, if she was restrained she wouldn't be able to excite him (hopefully) into doing something he would regret.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." the captain said

Anger reached Zuko's eyes. How dare this man trick him into such a despicable position and then tell him not to try to set it right!

"If you do, it could kill her."

"What! How?"

"The Idol's activated by her opposing element. If she doesn't give in to it, the fire that controls her will eat her away. Her insides will literally cook while she's alive and she'll feel it."

A horrified look crossed Zuko's face.

"I thought it was a gift to help someone!"

"Oh it was, but when you deal with the spirits, there's always a trade off. Besides, she already wanted you, she wouldn't have started out so quickly if she hadn't. And don't worry about feeling guilty, when the sun rises, hell even when the moon cycle's finished, she'll still have it bad for you. The Idol amplifies feeling, feelings that never go back down."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this" Zuko snapped as Katara took his left hand and started licking his fingers.

"I don't keep magickal items I know nothing about."

"Then why didn't you tell us this when we bought it?"

The captain simply shrugged and walked into the forest to join his men. Zuko growled, how had he gotten himself into this mess?

"Uncle?" he called out "Uncle Iroh?"

He turned around, but at some point his Uncle had wandered off as well. He groaned in frustration, partially at his Uncle's hasty retreat and at the fact that a pair of graceful hands had once again grasped him.

"Katara" he said

"Yes, Master Zuko?" She replied without removing her hand. (To which he did not protest.)

"Is what the pirate said true, about you being attracted to me?"

"Yes Master Zuko."

"But why?"

"You're the first boy besides my brother near my age I've really seen. And you're very handsome."

He would've have happily let this stroke his ego, if it weren't for the obviousness of the Idol's effects. He knew she was telling the truth because she wasn't able to defy or lie to him, but it still didn't feel right.

Her hands were no longer down his pants, instead they were on her dress as she started to open it. Zuko blushed and grabbed her hands; she would really disrobe on the river bank?

Realizing the extent of his mistake and unable to find another way out, he took her by the hand and led her to the small boat he had brought.

There was a private room below deck with a cot and toilet facility. It would have to do.

He leaned down and found her lips, pressing them lightly at first, testing the kiss. When she responded, he deepened it, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her body against his. He knew this was wrong, even if he wanted it. But he had no other choice, though he wasn't sure he would've denied her even if he did. He needed someone to accept him, to look at him with eyes not filled with disgust.

Katara groaned as his lips traveled down her neck, finding a spot she didn't know she had. He focused his attentions on it, the soft, ginger-colored spot of flesh. His lips and teeth and paying it the utmost attention. She gasped, feeling her entire body tingle as if every part of her was connected to that one spot.

A part of her was still there, trying to fight the effects of the Idol. This wasn't her, it couldn't be. She couldn't be attracted to this arrogant, selfish, spoiled Firebender!

But she could no longer deny it, whatever magick the Idol had had taken away her inhibitions about him and she knew she would never get them back. At least not completely. Besides, wasn't it just easier to give into him? To let these feelings, physical and emotional take over? She was always taking care of others needs, but what about hers? And she could always pretend she didn't remember.

She reached up and started to undo the constraints of his torso armor. He had many different sections, none of them connected. He shifted and helped her, removing his breast and back plates then his gauntlets and shoulder spikes. He wore a gray and red shirt underneath, a small series of strings holding it closed.

She started to work on those next, desperate to be done with this before the sun came up. He took her hands in his and pushed them gently down as his kiss flowed down to the nape of her neck.

"Master Zuko!' Katara gasped as his teeth grazed her collarbone.

He reached down and undid the front of her robe, opening it and slowly sliding it down her arms as he sat her down on the cot. She wore a light blue shirt underneath and a pair of thick cotton pants.

He groaned, why did she have to have so many layers?

His hands traveled down and pulled the bottom of the shirt out of her pants, sliding underneath and pulling it above her head. His hands then found the drawstring of her pants, loosely knotted, he noticed.

He undid them and let his hand travel downward. She gasped as the tips of his fingers ran gently over her most sensitive areas. He would've have liked to attribute his attentions to instinct or even technique, but truth be told he was just trying to figure out how to get her underwear off.

He slid her pants down her legs slowly, taking the time to enjoy the warm flesh. He then cursed himself for not paying attention when they caught over her shoes. He reached over with his feet and slid them off with everything else but her underwear. Noticing her half naked state he decided to even things out and undid his under shirt. It flapped open and slowly retreated down his muscular arms.

Katara felt herself grow wetter at the sight of his torso. She had never really seen a shirtless man she wasn't related to. It was odd to feel this way for a naked chest. She didn't understand it, but didn't care either. Her hands went up and ran over him, slowly, feeling every muscle and crease. His skin was hot to the touch and soft as down.

Zuko took her hand and kissed her palm, then her fingertips. He knew he had only had a taste of what they were capable of and wanted more. He leaned over her, his high ponytail falling against her neck as he kissed over her still bound breasts, over stomach and even further. She gasped when she felt his teeth graze her inner thigh.

His hands traveled to the tops of her underwear and pulled them off revealing her. She was as wet as he was hard and it was obvious what she wanted. Katara stiffened as Zuko mouth found her core, his tongue slowly traveling in counter clockwise circles over her.

Katara gasped, she was the only one who had ever touched that part of her body. She hadn't even known someone else might know about it. She groaned as his tongue continued to tease her, she was so wet and swollen from desire and urge to feel release. She was so close but he stopped just as she was about to come. A small moan escaped her mouth.

"Master Zuko" Katara whined

Zuko shhhh-ed her as he pulled off her chest restraints. His mouth found her nipple, hard and pink, waiting for him. He ran his tongue over one as his fingers continued were his mouth had left off below her waist. Katara groaned, getting close again, the attention he paid to her chest intensifying the sensations.

That's when it hit, a wave of pleasure, sharp and sweet, making her entire body shudder. She gasped and let her head loll back, eyes rolling. When it was over, she felt different. Almost as if she wasn't restrained to he and his will.

Zuko sat back and helped her put her clothes back on before he got dressed.

He then led her off the ship, back to the tree and tied her securely before setting out to find a crew member for an update on the search.

Confused, Katara didn't understand. Shouldn't she be burning alive instead feeling a sense of satisfaction more intense than any other she had felt?

That's when she noticed the first rays of the sun over the eastern horizon. He had known how much time he had and chosen to make it her enjoyment. As the effects of the Idol wore off, she realized, what Zuko could've done and what he chose to do.


End file.
